Fine-Tuning Performance

Stepping is a club-building technique that subtly adjusts the playing characteristics of steel iron shafts. While it is not something most golfers will need or even notice, it can be useful for players and fitters looking to fine-tune feel, launch, and control without changing shaft models.

What Is Stepping?

Our steel iron shafts are produced in discrete lengths, with each shaft designed for a specific iron in the set. These shafts are built to be installed without tip trimming, meaning the flex and profile are engineered into the raw length from the factory.

Stepping changes the way these discrete lengths are assigned to clubheads:

• Soft Stepping: Using a longer shaft (intended for a lower-numbered iron) in a higher-numbered iron head. Example: installing a 5-iron shaft into a 6-iron head. This produces a slightly softer flex and can promote a higher launch.
• Hard Stepping: Using a shorter shaft (intended for a higher-numbered iron) in a lower-numbered iron head. Example: installing a 7-iron shaft into a 6-iron head. This results in a slightly firmer feel and can lower launch.

How Much Does Stepping Change Flex?

Based on our testing, each step changes the flex by roughly one-quarter of a flex. This is a subtle difference, less than moving from a standard Stiff to an Extra Stiff, but enough for experienced players to detect in feel and performance.

Potential Drawbacks

While stepping can create small performance changes, it also alters other build characteristics:

• Balance Point and Swing Weight – Because the shafts are discrete lengths, changing the installation order shifts the balance point, which in turn changes swing weight.
• Final Club Weight – More or less shaft length is trimmed from the butt end, subtly changing the total weight of the finished club.
• Profile Shift – Moving the shaft’s step pattern changes where the flex points occur, which can influence feel and trajectory.
• Length Considerations for Non-MODUS³ Models – These models (including the N.S.PRO GH, neo, and Zelos) are designed 2 inches shorter than our MODUS³ iron shafts. Hard stepping with these shafts can produce a finished club length shorter than intended. Always calculate the combined length of your head, shaft, and stepping configuration to confirm that the finished club will meet your desired length.

These changes are small, but they add complexity. Stepping is often a trial-and-error process, and the differences may be marginal unless the golfer is particularly sensitive to feel.

Visual Guide to Stepping

Below is a simplified chart showing how shafts are reassigned when soft stepping or hard stepping a set.

Iron Head	Standard Shaft	Soft Stepped Shaft	Hard Stepped Shaft
3 Iron	3 Iron Shaft	2 Iron Shaft	4 Iron Shaft
4 Iron	4 Iron Shaft	3 Iron Shaft	5 Iron Shaft
5 Iron	5 Iron Shaft	4 Iron Shaft	6 Iron Shaft
6 Iron	6 Iron Shaft	5 Iron Shaft	7 Iron Shaft
7 Iron	7 Iron Shaft	6 Iron Shaft	8 Iron Shaft
8 Iron	8 Iron Shaft	7 Iron Shaft	9 Iron Shaft
9 Iron	9 Iron Shaft	8 Iron Shaft	W Shaft
W	W Shaft	9 Iron Shaft	W Shaft

Note: The 2-iron shafts are not available for all shaft models, but they are shown here to illustrate the shift in sequence. The shortest shaft we make is a wedge length shaft and can be but trimmed to any desired finished wedge length.

When to Consider Stepping

Stepping may be worth exploring if you:

• Like your current shaft model but want a very slight change in feel or launch
• Fall between two standard flex offerings
• Want to make long irons launch easier or short irons feel firmer without changing models

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Bottom Line: Stepping is a precise, subtle tuning option, not a wholesale transformation. For most players, a standard build will perform best. But for those who understand the nuances, it is a valid tool for fine-tuning steel iron shaft performance.